ISLAMABAD – Minister for Law and Justice Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem in awritten reply during Question Hour told National Assembly Monday thatNational Accountability Bureau (NAB) could not divulge details of itsarbitration in the case of Broadsheet LLC pending in Chartered Institute ofArbitration, London and High Court of Justice in England due toconfidentiality agreement.
He said there was no lawsuit against National Accountability Bureau inInternational Court of Arbitration.Farogh was responding to a question of MNA Choudhary Faqir Hussain whosought details of lawsuit filed against NAB in International Court ofArbitration.He told the house that according to his information NAB had been fined Rs12to 14 billion in the said arbitration and also NAB paid fees of Rs2.5billion to law firms contesting the case.
He also wanted details of the grounds for each lawsuit filed in the courtsagainst the NAB with expenditure incurred.
Parliamentary Secretary Malaika Bukhari informed the house that as thematter was subjudice and due to confidentiality agreement signed by thegovernment of Pakistan the matter could not be discussed in the NationalAssembly.
In the written reply, the Ministry of Law told that the subject arbitrationwas subjudice before the Tribunal and the High Court of Justice in Englandand it was therefore under judicial consideration and prohibited frompublic discussion elsewhere.
Further the details asked by the member do not fall under section 78 ofRules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly.
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The Ministry of Law told the house that the subject arbitration was stillgoing on and presently an application had been filed in the Tribunal undersection 57(3) of the United Kingdom Arbitration Act, 1996 and in the HighCourt of Justice in England under the same act.
“Thereby meaning that the matter is still subjudice and the grounds anddetails of expenditure cannot be provided. Nonetheless apart from that itis once again stated that the Government of Pakistan and NAB had signed aconfidentiality agreement and till the matter is resolved, no furtherinformation can be divulged.”
The ministry further said NAB was in the process of conducting inquiriesand any public disclosure shall adversely affect the interest of public atthis stage.No amount has been paid by NAB to anyone as damages as the final decisionof the Tribunal and High Court of Justice in England was still awaited, theministry said in the written answer.
